Things Change
by Amyeyl
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change... (back, with a new chap.)
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: I wish _some_ of them were mine...  
Warnings: Yaoi, NCS and violence later on  
Pairings: 1x2, 2x5, 1x5(NCS)  
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change...  
  
  
  
Things Change  
by Amyeyl  
  
  
Prologue

It was happening, again. The safe house wasn't big enough for the three of them.

Chang Wufei grumbled to himself in what should have been the quiet hours of the early morning. Pulling his pillow over his head hadn't helped. Listening to soothing music via headphones hadn't worked. Nothing worked. The two pilots in the next room were just too loud, and they were keeping him awake.

He was tempted to march into the other bedroom and demand that the two of them stop 'fucking like bunnies' as the braided boy was fond of calling such activities. However, who was he to take away what could possibly be their last night together? The life of a Gundam Pilot was one that would most likely end prematurely. If said pilot happened to be Heero Yuy, the chances for death increased greatly, even if he did have an uncanny survival rate.

Contrary to popular belief, Wufei cared a great deal for his fellow pilots and wished them all whatever happiness they could find; not that he would ever admit to it. So, he climbed out of his bed and made his way quietly down the hall, pillows tucked under his arms and his blanket trailing behind him on the floor.

The couch in the living room on the other side of the house would have to do. Wufei made himself as comfortable as possible and settled in for the rest of the night. His temporary new bed would provide him with the perfect vantage point for an event he never thought possible.

**********

While the sounds were fainter out in the living room, Wufei was glad when they finally came to a halt. He had been able to slip somewhat into dreamland before he was startled awake by the sound of things crashing and what sounded like Duo yelling.

Training asserting itself over the concern for his friend, Wufei remained still, trying to discern what could be causing the commotion and if it would be more than Duo and Heero could handle. Not being able to pick up any other sounds over the yelling, he was about to head to check on his fellow pilots when the two of them came into the living room.

Heero came first, calm and collected as usual, carrying a bag that wouldn't hold much more than his laptop. Duo came close on his heel, alternating between screaming insults and begging. Training kicking in once more, Wufei froze on the couch, hoping to go unnoticed.

"Heero! You BASTARD! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" an angry Duo demanded, tugging on one of Heero's arms.

"I told you," came the simple reply, "I'm leaving." And with that, the Japanese boy extracted his arm from the other's grip and continued towards the door.

"Heero! You can't," Duo pleaded, staring dejectedly at hands that had just touched the object of his heart's desire for what may be the last time, "you can't leave me..."

"I can, and I am. I have no interest in you anymore, Duo. You should thank me for staying this long, and giving you a decent farewell memory." With that, the dark-haired boy was gone.

Wufei stood in the dark, quiet aftermath of what had just occurred, his feet rooted to the spot with indecision. Should he go comfort Duo, or would it be better for the other boy if he just slipped away and spared him the embarrassment of knowing such a private, painful moment had a witness?

_'This is stupid,'_ Wufei berated himself, _'Of course I should be there for him,'_ and he made his way towards the other pilot, making as much noise as possible to alert Duo to his presence. Sinking to his knees, he pulled the sobbing remains into his arms, wrapped them both in his blanket, and held on.

- Next -


	2. Ch 01

Disclaimer: I wish _some_ of them were mine...  
Warnings: Yaoi, NCS and violence later on  
Pairings: 1x2, 2x5, 1x5(NCS)  
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change...  
A/N: POV switches between Duo and Wufei, 3rd person is a flashback.  
  
  
  
Things Change  
by Amyeyl  
  
  
Chapter 1

During the war, I never would have pegged 'Fei as the domestic type. He was all business, and probably would'a labeled cooking and cleaning and such an _onna_'s job. But that was a long time ago, five, six years at the least. Now, here he is in the kitchen baking something that smells absolutely delicious. And wearing an apron too!

Leaning back in my chair, something he would've scolded me for if he weren't preoccupied, I watch appreciatively as he moves about our tiny kitchen. He's all grace, 'Fei is. Never a movement wasted as he slips whatever it is into the oven and starts cleaning up. Standing at the sink, his back to me, it really is hard to compare my 'Fei to the Chang Wufei I thought I knew. He seems so different, but if I look hard enough I can tell they're one and the same. The most obvious thing is his height, he's grown maybe an inch if he's lucky since he was 15; not that I'm complaining. I love his small, slim body. He seems so delicate at times that I want to wrap him up in velvet and protect him from the world. He'd laugh at me if he knew that. That's another thing that hasn't changed. Wufei is still incredibly strong, one of the strongest people I know. I don't just mean physically either, though I'm sure he can still wipe the floor with me even with such a great height disadvantage. He's strong in other ways too. I don't think I'd be here today if he wasn't. There are so many times when I've failed him, when I could do no more than give up hope or break down and cry, so many times where he had to be strong enough to see the both of us through, and he's never failed to do so. I'm honored that he still chooses to stay with me and proud to say that I have a place in his heart, and that he has a place in mine.

Although he remains as strong as ever, it's different somehow. He seems more at peace with himself and that's affected how he carries himself. He no longer assumes the persona of the proud warrior, though it's not completely gone. Now he behaves like someone you would expect to find curled up with a book, in the kitchen baking, or out tending to a garden, all of which he enjoys. His hair is different as well. It falls to about the small of his back, kept neatly out of the way in a loose ponytail. Soon it will rival my infamous braid, and if I have any say, surpass it. I love his hair as much as I love anything about him, it's so different from my own. Straight and silky and so very dark. I can't keep my hands out of it sometimes, speaking of which...

Lowering the front half of my chair to the floor, I smile and make my way over to him. Whatever he's been baking has chocolate in it, the scent clinging to him becoming more obvious as I get closer. I drop my hands onto his shoulders, kneading gently before moving them into his hair. Peeking over him into the soapy water, I almost have a heart attack.

He's already washed the bowl!

Smiling at me over his shoulder, he gestures towards the counter with a tilt of his head. There's a wooden spoon there, heaping with leftover chocolate chip cookie dough, just for me. A quick kiss to the top of his head, and I'm in cookie dough heaven.

Did I mention that I love him?

**********

Finishing with the cookie mess, I turn my attention to Duo who's munching happily away at the leftover dough. It's amazing how something so simple can make him so happy. What's even more amazing is that he's here with me. If you had told me a few years back that he and I would be living peacefully together I would have laughed at you, and then hurt you severely for getting my hopes up.

Yes, even during the early stages of the war this boy, who was so unlike anyone I had ever known, fascinated me. He was so alive, so cheerful and outgoing, so not me. He could joke and laugh, no matter the danger we faced. At times I thought nothing could keep him from smiling for more than a few minutes. I wish I had been right...

*~*~*~*~*

Heero was gone. Heero Yuy was gone. He had walked out on Duo Maxwell a few days ago and now he was gone. The safe house the three pilots had shared had never been quieter. Even with two of the occupants being less than vocal, Duo had managed to keep some sort of sound going at all times whether it be his own voice, the radio, the television or some sort of combination. But now there was no noise. With the loss of Heero, Duo had become as quiet as Wufei had occasionally wished for him to be, perhaps more so.

Wufei had quickly become unnerved by the silence and had done everything he could think of to try and draw the other boy out of it. The Chinese boy had even gone so far as to contact Quatre for advice. The Arabian hadn't been able to come up with anything new, but had promised that he and Trowa would come to help as soon as they completed their current mission.

Sadly, nothing had worked. Wufei had taken to simply talking at him in an attempt to relieve the oppressive silence. He had started off trying to make the boy realize that things had been good before he and Heero had become a couple, and that things would get better again. That had failed miserably and had earned him a glare that would have made Heero proud, were he still around. After that botched attempt, he talked about the simple things like the weather, or something he'd read in the newspaper, or how Deathscythe was such a powerful gundam. He was worried about spending too much time talking of the gundams, for fear that it would somehow lead to one of them being called off on a mission. He wasn't sure which he feared more, Duo having to go on a solo mission, or being left home alone.

Nonetheless he was afraid, and one afternoon, lacking any other topics, he'd begun talking of his past. He'd never told any of the other pilots about his childhood or about Meiran, but he found the words flowed easily into the silence that surrounded them. This had been going on for about a month, interrupted by a brief mission during which Quatre and Trowa had Duo-sat. They hadn't had any luck getting the boy to talk either. Afterwards, Quatre had to leave on another assignment and Trowa provided the backup Duo assuredly wouldn't have been able to give, despite the irate doctors' disapproval.

It was that afternoon, after a farewell lunch prepared by Trowa that Wufei had found himself talking about Meiran's death. He wasn't sure what had brought it on, but had used the excuse of clearing the table to hide his tears. He made it into the kitchen before he lost himself and the dishes to the sobs that had begun to wrack his body. It had been so long since he had allowed himself to think of her as truly dead, and it hurt so much.

He was startled when he felt two arms wrap gently but firmly around his shoulders. He was even more surprised when he heard a soft voice whispering to him as a wet cheek rubbed against the top of his head.

"It's okay, 'Fei. It's okay to cry..." And cry he did. The two of them huddled together on the kitchen floor, mumbling reassurances to each other and crying for their lost loves and broken hearts.

*~*~*~*~*

Those same two arms wound their way around my waist, causing me to jump in surprise. I seem to have lost my touch during these times of peace. Duo's head rests on my shoulder and he stares at me with a strange look of worry. I smile a bit to try and reassure him, though it doesn't seem to work.

"What's the matter?" he asks, his soft breath causes some of the shorter hairs near my ear to tickle my skin and I turn my head to rest against his in an effort to escape. He presses a light kiss to my temple and lets go of me to rub my arms in a comforting gesture before turning me around.

"Nothing's the matter," I shake my head as I speak and offer him another smile. He frowns at me, still unconvinced. It's his turn to shake his head at me and sigh.

"You've always been a terrible liar, 'Fei, but that was just pathetic," he puts his hands on his hips and mock glares at me in a disapproving manner. "Now, are you gonna tell me or am I gonna have to tickle it out of you?" I sigh softly and move to stand flush against him, pulling his arms forward and around me. I'd feel foolish were I to admit this to anyone other than him, but I crave his embrace, his strong arms offer a protection I'd never thought to have, especially when I'm upset.

"I was thinking about that night in the kitchen... and Heero." He stiffens briefly in my embrace before relaxing again and lifting a hand to stroke my hair.

"It's alright," he murmurs, trying to comfort me through his own pain at the mention of that name. He lightly kisses the top of my head, one of the few, very few, benefits of being short. I don't know what I'd do without him. Without him, I don't think I'd ever have found true peace.

Did I mention that I love him?

**********

The phone chose that moment to ring and I gently extricated myself from his grasp. I smiled apologetically at him before crossing the room to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Wufei?"

"Speaking..."

"Mmm... Wufei."

"I'm sorry, I don't recognize your voice. May I ask who's calling?"

"Tsk tsk. It's not very nice of you to forget me Wufei. I bet Duo would remember my voice... It doesn't really matter though, I'll be seeing you soon 05."

"H-Heero?!"

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	3. Ch 02

Disclaimer: I wish _some_ of them were mine...  
Warnings: Yaoi, NCS and violence later on  
Pairings: 1x2, 2x5, 1x5(NCS)  
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change...  
A/N: POV switches between Duo and Wufei  
  
  
  
Things Change  
by Amyeyl  
  
  
Chapter 2

"H-Heero?!" I look up in shock as he says that name. I'm across the room in half a second, pulling the phone away from a startled Wufei.

"Heero? You bastard! Answer me!" Dammit. I was about to hang up, thinking he had already done so, when a soft chuckle broke the silence on his end.

"You sound well, Duo."

"Don't try and make nice. What the hell do you want?"

"If I told you, it would only make you worry." His voice was pleasant, as if he were simply teasing a friend by not telling them what their birthday present was.

"Worry me." I ground out. My anger at him was wearing away to be replaced by the hurt of being abandoned, so I had to make this fast. There was no way I was going to cry on the phone.

"Have it your way. Wufei."

"What about Wufei?" Now I was worried.

"You asked me what I wanted. I want Wufei."

"What the hell-"

"Shh. He'll hear you."

"Tell me, Yuy, tell me now. What do you want him for?" The bastard laughed again.

"I couldn't tell you that, it would ruin the surprise. I will tell you this, though. I'll be coming to collect him soon. It would make things easier for me if you had him packed and ready to go when I get there, but knowing you you'll put up a fight."

"You're damn right I will. You won't fucking touch him! You hear me?"

"You see? This is why I didn't want to tell you. Now not only will you worry, you're going to do something stupid that might get you hurt. Oh well, it'll make things more interesting I suppose. Yes, yes I'm sure it will. Telling you was a good idea, thank you Duo. I have to go now, but I'll see the both of you soon." There's an audible click as he hangs up the phone.

Slumping against the wall, I slide down to the floor still staring at the phone. Wufei hovers near me. I can tell by the expression on his face that he's unsure of what to do. I drop the phone and reach out to pull him to me.

"Duo? What did he say?" I shake my head again and hug him tighter. There's no way I'll let Heero touch you, Wufei. Over my cold, dead body, and you can't kill Shinigami. I can feel him, just under the surface, waiting to break out.

Shinigami's not really a him, it's just easier to refer to it that way. Shinigami is the place where I go when I have to kill, personified. It's like I separate myself from myself, from what makes me human, and it made the killing easier to handle. It's a little confusing talking about it like that, so it's easier to just call it Shinigami. I thought I'd never have to deal with him again, not with the war being over. But I'm thankful for him, he's the only thing keeping me from crying right now.

"'Fei, oh God, 'Fei," I bury my face in his hair. What is he up to? What does he want with 'Fei?

"Duo?" He pulls back and stares me straight in the eye. "What's going on?"

"He wants...he said he wants you."

"Me?" I nod and pull him to me again, tightening my hold on his hair.

"What did he say to you?"

"He said it wasn't nice of me to forget his voice, and that he'd be seeing me soon."

"Anything else?"

"He said that you wouldn't have, forgotten I mean, and he called me 05."

"What did he call me?"

"Duo." I'm starting to shake, I realize. I let go of 'Fei and stand up slowly, using the wall for support. He stands as well and puts an arm around me to keep me from falling over. "Duo? Are you alright?" I shake my head, I don't trust my voice right now. 'Fei, I think, understands and leads me towards the bedroom. I start to protest but he hushes me. So strong, always so strong.

He tucks me into our bed and leans down to press a kiss to my forehead. He sits there for a short while, watching me. At times like this I wonder what he's thinking. Is he afraid like me? Does he revert simply to being Chang Wufei, defender of justice? Or is he forced back into the role kicking and screaming? I don't think I really want to know. He strokes my hair for a moment longer and then his eyes seem to refocus.

"Do you want me to stay?" He does understand. I smile at him, it's a little forced but I manage, and shake my head.

"No, please go." He nods and quietly leaves the room. I've always hated for him to see me cry.

**********

I close the door as quietly as I can and lean back against the smooth surface. I hate it when he's this upset, I don't know what to do for him. What could Heero have said to affect him so? If something like this had happened during the war, I would have simply gone out and eliminated the cause. I wouldn't have cared if I lived or died, just so long as I could have made him feel better. I find myself getting that impulse now and have to bring it quickly under control.

Things are different now, so very different. I can no longer do something as selfish as that, and yes, it is a very selfish thing to do. I cannot simply throw away my life like that. It is no longer my own, the same for my very soul. They both belong to Duo, and I would not rob him of them. And I am pretty sure that is what I would be doing. To go against Heero ill-equipped and without a plan is suicide. I won't try and handle this alone. Duo and I are partners in everything else, and this will be no different. We will figure something out and be ready for whatever Heero attempts.

As I come out of my thoughts, I can hear the crying. It's very faint, but I can hear it. With a heavy heart I move away from the bedroom and down the hall. I know he doesn't like me to be around when he's crying, and while I don't understand it, I won't go against his wishes. He will pull himself together soon, and then we can figure out what to do.

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	4. Ch 03

Disclaimer: I wish _some_ of them were mine...  
Warnings: Yaoi, NCS and violence later on  
Pairings: 1x2, 2x5, 1x5(NCS)  
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change...  
A/N: Forgot to mention, Endless Waltz never happened.  
  
  
  
Things Change  
by Amyeyl  
  
  
Chapter 3

I turn my head and look at the clock. The clock stares back impassively, 11:24 pm stands out a bright red in the darkness of the room. Over seven hours have passed, I must have fallen asleep. I sit up and stretch, trying to work the kinks out of my body. There's something important I should be doing right now, not sitting alone in the darkness of the bedroom, but in my post-sleep haze it doesn't seem to matter. What I should be doing and what I want to do are two completely different things. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to handle what I need to do, but giving in to what I want to do would be so easy. To lie down again, go back to sleep, so very easy to forget the rest of the world exists, to forget he exists.

I climb stiffly out of the bed and head into the adjoining bathroom. I flip the switch and wince as the room is flooded with light. Peering into the mirror, I note with a kind of detachment that I look like shit. My eyes are puffy with lingering traces of redness and my hair is defying gravity. The outside matches the inside, so I guess it's appropriate. I finger-comb the mess back into some semblance of normality and exit the bathroom, turning the light off as I go. While it would be so easy to forget everything, including Heero, I could never forget Wufei.

It's for him that I have to hold myself together. It's for him that I will face Heero again after all these years. And it's him that I will protect with my very life. I don't know what Heero's thinking, but he'll have to play his games with someone else.

I leave the bedroom and head down the hall. I know he must be worried about me. Seven hours is a long time to cry. Even if I wasn't crying for most of the time, he wouldn't know that. He said he would go so he wouldn't have ventured near the bedroom until I came out. I wonder how he's holding up.

I get my answer as I enter the living room. He's asleep on the couch, curled around a pillow that's a poor substitute for my own body. I'm glad he's managed to get to some sleep; I hope he's been that way for a while. Although I wish I had been here with him instead of hiding in the bedroom.

It's best if I let him sleep for now. With Heero who knows what we'll be up against, and this could be his last chance for a full night's sleep. I move into the kitchen intent on finding...something, I'm not sure what. The phone has been hung up, I notice, and a closer look shows the oven to have been turned off. What became of the cookies, I wonder. Peering into the trashcan, I get my answer.

The first casualties of this new war. The innocent always suffer in a time of crisis, but they will be avenged. If Heero shows his face, he will pay for their deaths and anything else he tries to harm. However, if the cookies are the worst tragedy that occurs, I will be beyond grateful.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. A good piece of advice that I've taken to heart. As long as you don't allow it to make you careless, which can happen all too easily, I've found this the best way to approach any problem.

I find myself staring into the refrigerator. I'm not really hungry, I just need...something. I go through the cabinets as well, whatever it is I'm looking for doesn't seem to be in here. With a sigh, I pour myself a glass of water and sit at the kitchen table. I would have preferred something stronger, but that wouldn't have been very smart of me. The time for falling apart can come when this is all over.

It's funny, less than half a day ago I was sitting in this very chair watching Wufei bake. My life was perfect, well, perfect enough that I didn't want for anything. And now, just like those cookies, everything is wrong. It's supposed to be a time of peace, we shouldn't have to worry about where the next attack is going to come from. And should ever a time arise we that became necessary again, the five of us should have been able to rely on one another. Under no circumstance should we have to fear one another, under no circumstance should be afraid of one of our own. After everything we've been through... Yet, that's what's happening, and it's so very wrong.

I stare into my glass. Half empty or half full? If you choose half empty they say you're a pessimist, half full, then you're an optimist. What are you when you make no distinction? How are you classified if just the fact that there is water in the glass is enough for you? Does it even matter? I suppose not. What matters is not having anything more pressing to worry about than the amount of water in your glass.

There's a sound, like the plop of drop of water joining it's own, and it seems so loud in the stillness. Why is it so loud? That's when I notice. I'm crying again, my tears falling from my down turned face to join the water in my glass. I stare transfixed as a single tear clings to the end of my nose, as if afraid to take the final plunge that will reunite it with its fellows. It's afraid, I find myself thinking. Afraid of letting go of the familiar and taking the plunge into something new that may ultimately be better. I understand, I tell it silently, but there's nothing to be afraid of. And I do understand.

*~*~*~*~*

Trowa and Quatre had left some time ago for another mission. Duo had been assigned to go but he was in no shape to do so. Trowa had easily offered to take his place and after lunch the two had set off. This left the braided boy alone with Wufei.

In times past the Chinese boy would have wandered away as soon as they were left alone, leaving Duo to his own devices. But things were different now. Ever since Heero had left him, Wufei had been hovering. He hesitated to call it hovering for fear of the Chinese boy taking offense, but hovering was what it was.

Whatever you wanted to call it, Duo found himself enjoying it. Wufei had pulled him back from the edge and he was grateful for the constant presence that kept him from slipping. However, he couldn't help but wonder if that was all this was. Did Wufei remain only to make sure he did himself no harm? If so, he wanted no part of his kindness anymore.

But he found himself hoping it meant more, hoping the Chinese boy could actually see him as someone worthwhile, someone he could call a friend. He'd always held Wufei's approval in high esteem and if he truly thought him worth saving, simply because he was himself and not for how it may affect the war, then maybe it was true. Maybe he was valuable in his own right, more than just Heero's cast away.

He thought that maybe he was ready to face the world again. More than a month had passed, and while not ready to see Heero again or to let his heart out Duo thought it was about time that he at least stopped hiding.

Wufei was talking to him again. He enjoyed listening to the boy, his voice was perfect for this sort of thing. It was so soft and you could just get carried away on it. If he ever had trouble sleeping he might just have to beg Wufei for a bedtime story.

Not only did he have a wonderful voice, but he was sharing so many things about himself Duo had only dreamed of being privileged enough to hear. After much prodding on his part over the time they had known each other, he was finally being allowed to see behind the masks the Chinese boy wore. It was this that contributed to the belief that Wufei was actually worried about him, and not just the war.

But wait, something was wrong. Wufei's voice sounded distant, forced. Duo paid more attention to what was being said. Wufei had been married...? Meiran. Her name was Meiran and she died trying to defend their colony... No wonder Wufei was so different now from the boy in the stories he told about his past. Wait, where was he going?

Soon after Wufei had hurried into the kitchen there hard been a crash. Duo had been up out of his seat quickly and followed him through the doorway. What he saw broke his heart again, and he dropped down to the floor to embrace the other boy. It was then he noticed that he was crying as well.

*~*~*~*~*

"Duo?" his still sleepy voice pulls me out of my thoughts. I blink a few times to clear my head and notice the tear has fallen from my nose and into the glass.

Wufei pads into the kitchen, the pillow still held in his arms, and smiles a bit to see me out of the room. It's a little unsure, I mean I'm sitting here in the dark, but when I hold my arms out to him it blossoms into a full-fledged one.

He's in my arms before I can blink, the pillow forgotten on the tiled floor. Arranging him comfortably on my lap, I kiss his soft lips and rest my head against his silken hair. All those years ago, I leapt into the unknown with him, a kindred spirit, and I haven't looked back since.

**********

"Soon, 05, so very soon and I'll have you as my own. I'm sure you'll be so very much fun. I really need a new toy, all the ones lately are so very fragile. Use any force at all and they break, what fun is that? But you, you'll be different. You're strong and I can really play with you. We'll have so much fun together, and I'm sure you'll last a long time. I bet I'll never need another toy," Heero smiled at the black and white photo resting on the pillow next to him. He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to the replicated lips before settling back down for sleep, his arm draped over the empty space next to him that would soon be filled, "Goodnight."

  
  
  
  
  
A/N: I'm getting sorta attached to crazy little Heero, figuring out an ending is gonna be harder than I thought. Oh well, I've got a while.

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	5. Ch 04

Disclaimer: I wish _some_ of them were mine...  
Warnings: Yaoi, NCS and violence later on  
Pairings: 1x2, 2x5, 1x5(NCS)  
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change...  
A/N: I apologize in advance for a few things in this chapter, the biggest being the stopping place. Things moved a bit too quickly, and I'm not sure where I'm going to go from here. Also, please read my bio thingy for some important information regarding this and my other stories.  
  
  
  
Things Change  
by Amyeyl  
  
  
Chapter 4

I'm awoken, I think, by the sound of the doorbell. I lift my head from the pillow, listening. Perhaps I imagined it, I don't hear anything now. After waiting a moment longer, just to be sure, I re-cuddle up against Duo. A smile on my face, my eyes flutter shut. I missed this last night, missed having his arms about me as I slept. It won't be that hard to-

There it is again. With a sigh I climb out of bed. I'd much rather stay with Duo, but that should be Quatre or Trowa. I called them yesterday asking them to come over today to discuss some things, but it's early even for one of them. They've known Duo for as long as I have, if not longer, and they should know he never wakes up before noon, even now. A quick glance at the clock so I can be accurate when demanding to know why they're here so early and- oh.

When did it get so late? I hurry out of the room as the bell rings again. What kind of person sleeps until two in the afternoon? Well, other than Duo. We weren't up that late last night, and I did get a little sleep on the couch. Maybe this thing with Heero is affecting me more than I thought.

I reach the door and stand on tiptoes to look out of the peephole. I really do hate being short. That's strange, there's no one there. They rang the bell not even a minute ago, surely I didn't keep them waiting that long.

I reach automatically for the lock on the door, planning on taking a look down the hallway. My instincts, however, tell me that's a stupid thing to do. Heero could be waiting on the other side of the door just as easily as Quatre or Trowa could. My hand pulls back before connecting with the doorknob. I happen to look down and then I'm taking a few steps backwards.

The door's unlocked. I checked it myself before bed, and Duo checked it at least three times as well. It shouldn't be unlocked.

What? I thought I heard...

"d...Duo?" I hazard a whisper.

There. Louder this time. Not my name but...

"Good morning, 05." It's Heero. He's standing in the doorway to the kitchen now, eating a bowl of cereal. It's so normal, so everyday, and so very wrong.

I try to remain calm, but my breathing becomes erratic, betraying me. A few more backward steps, closer to the hallway, closer to Duo. If I can get to Duo...

"G-good morning, Heero." He smiles at me, still holding his bowl. I've never seen him smile like that before. It looks so normal, not the kind of smile you'd expect to see on the face of someone who had just broken into your home, but the smile neighbors use to greet one another. Polite, friendly...sane.

To get to the bedroom from here, I have to get past him. I wonder if he'd just stand there, smile, and let me by. What would he do if I were to call for Duo?

He's watching me closely, taking note of every move I make. You can see it in his eyes, the only part of him that belies the good-natured persona he's putting forth. They're much too... focused. The way they're staring at everything, soaking in every detail and every miniscule movement. Hawkeyed, I think they call it.

His smile brightens as I try and keep my eyes on him as well as glance down the hall.

"You want to call Duo?" I hesitate before slowly nodding. What kind of game is he playing? "Go ahead. He'd be upset if he missed out. After all, it was his idea that I let him participate. On second thought, I should go and get him myself."

He had placed his bowl on a counter and started down the hallway before I fully realize what he had said.

"DUO!!" I cry out as I rush down the hall, hoping to wake him before Heero does.

**********

"'Fei?" His scream pulls me from sleep and I frown in confusion when I don't find him in bed next to me. Getting up and starting towards the doorway, I come face to face with Heero.

He's changed, I find myself thinking, since the last time I saw him. Since the war ended. He's taller, not that much more so, but enough to make a noticeable difference. He's more muscular, he's...to put it simply he looks more like a man and less like a boy trying to be one. His eyes, though, they look younger, less hard, less cold.

"Duo." You can hear the smile on his face in his voice. It's...creepy.

"Heero..." As he comes further into the room, I catch sight of Wufei over his shoulder. I shake my head, telling him not to enter the room. Heero frowns for a moment, staring intently at me.

"Something's different. Your hair, you cut your hair."

"I cut my hair seven years ago." I can't believe he didn't notice. After he...

"I'm sorry, I suppose I didn't notice."

"You bastard," it comes out as a low growl, surprising even me. I didn't think my voice could do that. It didn't have any affect, though, he's smiling again.

"You don't have to pretend with me, Duo."

"What-?"

"You don't have to be strong, I know you're not. Not like 05. So you don't have to pretend."

It's the stupidest thing I could have done, I know that. I knew it before I did it and I had promised myself and 'Fei that I wouldn't, but I did it anyway. Hand-to-hand has never been my specialty. That was all Heero and Wufei. I think I was better at it than Quatre, though.

Yet, knowing all of this, I launch myself at him, screaming like an enraged madman. I have the element of surprise on my side, at least. You can see it as he eyes widen when my body crashes into his with a loud, fleshy thump.

My body weight and momentum carry us all the way to the floor. He really must have been caught off guard if he hasn't retaliated yet. There's blood on my hand, and while I'm not completely sure, I think it's his. My fist connects multiple times with his face while I scream at him. I'm not sure what I'm saying, or if I'm saying anything at all. Perhaps it's the pure sound of rage.

I realize through my bloodlust that he's not fighting back. This shocks me enough that I cease my assault. Could I have somehow taken down Heero? Me? Take down Heero? I'm on a roll today for stupid ideas.

He lies on the floor, pinned beneath me. The same blood that stains my hand trickles from a split lip. But the picture's all wrong. He's still smiling. Why is he smiling?!

I'm afraid, afraid of that smile. Why won't he stop? I shuffle backwards and stand up. Wufei is in the doorway, watching the two of us, but ready at any moment to enter into the fighting. Heero sits up and wipes the blood from his face with the back of his hand. He stands up slowly and looks at me questioningly.

"Do you feel better now?" His left eye is beginning to swell shut. I feel bad for hitting him. He's so damn calm and I've become irrational, unthinking. I've hurt him and he didn't make the slightest move to defend himself. I don't know how to react. He's threatened to do _something_ to Wufei and broken into our home to fulfill said threat, but he hasn't done anything violent. What do I do now? "Well, do you?"

"No," Answer his question, it's something. He shrugs and turns his back on me, facing Wufei.

"Oh well. Are you ready to go?"

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	6. Ch 05

Disclaimer: I wish _some_ of them were mine...  
Warnings: Yaoi, NCS and violence later on  
Pairings: 1x2, 2x5, 1x5(NCS)  
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change...  
A/N: This is the second fic I started writing, so I have an excuse. This is my first fight scene, ever, and it's really bad. But I'm new at this, so excuse, but still an apology. I'm very sorry, for I have no clue what I'm talking about. That's why it's very, very short. Anyway, I hope it doesn't take too much away from the story. I tried.  
  
  
  
Things Change  
by Amyeyl  
  
  
Chapter 5

I continue to lie still as I slowly regain consciousness, listening intently for any signs that he may be nearby. I don't hear anything, so I open my eyes to look around. A bright light fills my vision and I'm forced to close them quickly or go blind. I try to lift my arm to shield them further but it hurts. It hurts so much to just lift it a few inches from whatever surface I'm laying on.

A slight shift confirms that nothing is broken, at least in my arm. I'm having trouble feeling anything other than the pain radiating from it. Letting it drop back to my side, I sigh in frustration. Even if I could lift it more than those few inches, the shackle around my wrist with the attached chain wouldn't let me.

"Duo?" if he's in here, I wouldn't be able to see him. There's no response. He's not here... or he's unconscious.

"You're awake, I'm glad. How're you feeling?" Heero. I didn't hear him come in. I turn my head in a hopeless attempt to find out where he is. His voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. He laughed then, a rich sound which was very out of place. "You won't find me that way, 05. May I call you Wufei?"

"No." My answer causes him to laugh again.

"I made a good choice in you."

"A good choice in me for what?!"

"You'll see." After this the room falls silent. I don't hear any footsteps leave or a door close. Nothing. When there is no sound after what I'd estimate to be ten minutes, I begin to wonder if I'm alone.

"Heero?" I call out and wait. No answer. Did he really leave? A better question, perhaps, is was he ever really here? Even Heero's not good enough to come and go completely undetected when someone knows what to listen for. Perhaps he was watching me from somewhere else. It would explain the strange way his voice sounded.

I try to move again, my other arm this time, but I'm not sure if it works. I _think_ I'm moving it, but I can't feel anything. Not even the pain I should be feeling after what happened...

*~*~*~*~*

"Oh well. Are you ready to go?" Heero had turned to face Wufei, seemingly unfazed by the fact that it left him completely open to another attack from the man behind him. Wufei had blinked at Heero in surprise. Did he really think he would go with him just like that? If so, he was in for a rude awakening.

"Of course I'm not ready to go. I'm not going anywhere."

"On the contrary, you're coming with me. But that's what I love about you, so willful."

"Where is he?!" The screamed question had come from down the hallway. Wufei took a chance and looked over his shoulder and out the door. Quatre was storming towards them, with a look Wufei would have never thought to see on his face.

It was a look he had often used himself, a look that promised death. But what made it even worse than just seeing it on the blonde's face were the other things the look showed. Not only did it promise death, it promised a slow one preceded by lots of pain. It also betrayed his inner feelings of fear and rage. Wufei was sure the rage was directed at Heero, but the fear?

Heero let out a sigh as he caught sight of Quatre.

"I thought you could take a hint, Quatre. I didn't particularly want to hurt you, but if it comes down to it I don't care either way."

"Quatre? What're you doing here? What's he talking about?" The blonde kept his eyes locked with Heero's as he answered Duo's question.

"Wufei called Trowa and me yesterday saying he wanted us to come over because the two of you were having some problems with Heero. We were on our way over earlier when we ran into him."

"Wait... the two of you? Where's Trowa?"

"In your living room, bleeding on the sofa." That explains the fear, Wufei thought, and the death look. His reasons explained, Quatre wasted no more time in lunging at Heero.

A single gunshot rang out loudly in the small room, followed by the impossibly loud sound of Quatre hitting the floor. Time seemed to stand still as the three still standing stared down at the fallen Arabian. Duo let out a strangled cry, Wufei choked back a sob, and Heero sighed.

"Stupid boy. He should have been good and taken my warning. He wasn't invited to play." He tucked his gun away and smiled reassuringly at Wufei. "It's alright now, though. We won't have anymore interruptions."

Duo growled and lunged at him only to come up short as he found Heero's gun pointed at his face. The man tsked at him and lowered the weapon. Before Duo could let out a sigh of relief, Heero's fist came back up and caught him across the cheek. The backhand that followed sent him to the floor where he watched as Heero pivoted to take the offensive against Wufei.

Two jabs were avoided as Wufei danced to his right. The punch directed at his gut was blocked, the left hook he threw connected. The smile on Heero's face made him falter in his next attack and allowed Heero to regain the briefly lost control. A roundhouse sent Wufei staggering and a double-handed blow to his back sent him crashing to the floor. Rolling over, he caught the foot as it came towards him and pulled, bringing Heero to the floor as well. The Japanese boy hit hard as Wufei got to his feet.

Duo took the opportunity to scramble to Quatre's side. The boy still had a heartbeat and his breathing was shallow, but he was breathing.

"Get him out of here!" Wufei ordered, not taking his eyes off of Heero. Picking him up, Duo ran out of the room and down the hall and into the living room. Trowa was there, and he was indeed bleeding on the couch. Thankfully, he was conscious.

"Quatre!" he wheezed, "Is he...?"

"He's alive, but not for long if we don't get an ambulance here." Trowa nodded and reached for the phone. He hid the pain he was feeling well as he talked to the 911 operator. There was a sudden crash and both boys leapt to their feet. Duo caught Trowa before he fell over and eased him back to the couch. Once Trowa was seated he ran towards the hallway but was knocked over as Heero ran past him and out the door.

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	7. Ch 06

Disclaimer: I wish _some_ of them were mine...  
Warnings: Yaoi, NCS and violence later on  
Pairings: 1x2, 2x5, 1x5(NCS)  
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change...  
A/N: Not a happy me. Apologies for any spelling mistakes, as I'm sure there are some. MSWord has decided it no longer likes me or my computer and will attack mercilessly every time I try to run it. So, I am without spell check and the other happy things it provides, not that I use it for much of anything else. I prefer writing in wordpad, it reminds me of notepad, and they are never cruel to you. Apologies as well to Sandra a.k.a Wufei Lover for always stopping when I do.  
  
  
  
Things Change  
by Amyeyl  
  
  
Chapter 6

I pace angrily back and forth in the waiting room of the hospital. Trowa sits close by in one of the uncomfortable hospital chairs, watching me. His wounds treated, he had refused to remain under the care of the hospital any longer. A long, neat row of stitches now curves from his hip and up along his side, holding together the flesh that had been torn by Heero's knife. In time, it will leave a long, curved scar.

He shifts slightly, his eyes scrunching ever so minutely in pain. He had refused any sort of medication as well.

I feel torn as I watch him sitting there. I know I'm needed here, no one should be alone at a time like this. Quatre is my friend as well, and I want to offer support to them both. But 'Fei... Every second we spend here is a second Heero can use to ensure that we never find him.

By now the two of them could be holed up anywhere in the city, or even worse, on their way out of the city. Who knows what Heero's doing right this minute. And 'Fei is in no shape to stop him.

I stop my pacing and stand still as the broken window invades my thoughts. The curtain rod broken and slanted towards the floor. The broken shards of glass clinging to the window pane. Drops of blood and pieces of fabric torn from his body. For once I'm glad we live no higher than the third floor of our building. Long fingers gently take hold of my own and pull me down into one of the other chairs.

I'm smile helplessly at Trowa. The most we can do now is be there for one another. But I swear to myself and to 'Fei that I will find him. As soon as there is word on Quatre I will track the two of them down. And for Heero's sake, Quatre had better pull through.

**********

Am I awake? I wonder... Turning my head from side to side, there is nothing to be seen. There is no bright light like before, so perhaps I am dreaming. I wonder...

"05," I hear a voice. 05... I haven't been called that since the war. _Since the war_... does that mean it's over then? I'm not sure. Maybe that's why I can't remember. Was I injured somehow? A head wound?

"05, wake up," There it is again. I guess I'm not awake after all.

I pry my eyes open to be met with the smiling face of Heero. He called me 05, should I call him 01? No, 01 didn't smile. Funny, I don't remember...

I reach up, fingers searching out the smiling lips. I want to touch them, want to know they're real, and that I'm not dreaming anymore. I...my arm doesn't seem to be cooperating. I turn my head to look at it, eyes narrowed in frustration. I try again to move it, and watch in confusion when it doesn't.

Heero looms above me, reaching over to place his hand on my arm.

"Don't try to move anymore." I blink at him. He's right, I shouldn't try to move it. I cease in my efforts and he smiles again.

"Heero..." It comes out in a whisper, I can barely hear myself.

"What is it, 05?" It seems he heard me, but why...

"Why are you calling me that?"

"Calling you what?" His hand moves away from my arm and finds a new home in my hair. He slips the band out and his fingers run the length of it.

"05. My name is Wufei..." His hands still their motions and he stares at me.

"I know that... Wufei." He says my name again, his eyes lighting up in merriment. I don't understand why such a simple thing makes him so happy. He leans over me again, fingers resuming the stroking of my hair. He bends down closer to me and for some reason I'm afraid. And now he's kissing me. His lips are soft and the kiss gentle.

He sits up slowly and trails his fingers over my lips the way I'd wanted to do to him earlier. Why did he... He kisses me again before I can even form the thought completely.

"Soft," he whispers, his lips brushing against my own as they move in speech. "Much softer than Duo's." He pulls back now, watching me intently. He's waiting for something, that I can tell, but what? ...Duo?

His hand ghosts across my cheek, moving back into my hair. Duo. He lifts the dark strands so I can watch as they slip through his fingers back towards the floor.

"Your hair is softer than his as well, Wufei." Wufei. Duo. "I'm glad you've grown it out. I'd always wanted to see you with long hair." He's smiling again. Duo. Duo used to have long hair, until...

I try and struggle. It's of little use, the only thing that moves other than my head is the arm that I remember having had chained to the floor. I thrash my head wildly, my vision at times obscurred by my hair. Heero makes no move to get up, quite the contrary. Taking ahold of my hair again, he forces my head to remain still, and his lips are on mine again. Gone is the gentle touch of earlier, they are demanding in their ferocity.

When I bite into his lip, I hope for a scream of pain. When I taste the blood on my tongue, I hope for him to recoil in shock. Neither comes to pass. Instead I am gifted once again with his laughter.

Finally, however, he does pull back. In a sick parody of his earlier touch, he rubs his fingers lightly over my lips, smearing the blood there.

"So sweet, so strong..." and his lips are once more pressed to mine.

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	8. Ch 07

Disclaimer: I wish _some_ of them were mine...  
Warnings: Yaoi, NCS and violence later on  
Pairings: 1x2, 2x5, 1x5(NCS)  
Summary: After the war, Duo and Wufei are living a peaceful life together. However, when Heero returns, things change...  
A/N: I've decided to put this back up on FF.net. It was taken down originally I'm sure you know, for the high rating. Sitting and staring at this thing for a while, has made me painfully aware that I'm not capable of doing everything I wanted to do with it and so the rating will not breach the NC-17 mark. Plus I could use some suggestions, and almost no one visits the webpage, so... Anyway, here's a little more.  
  
  
  
Things Change  
by Amyeyl  
  
  
Chapter 7

He's in the corner. I know he is. He's watching me, and waiting. Waiting for what I don't know, but I know that's what he's doing. That's what he's been doing since he... No, I don't want to think about that.

I take a deep breath and wince when the motion causes pain to radiate from my chest. I really have gone soft, to let such a thing show on my face.

I don't know how he can be so patient. He hasn't moved in what has to have been hours. Although, it could realistically have only been a few minutes. There is no way to tell time in the confines of the room. There is no clock. There are no windows. Just the walls and the ceiling. Him and me.

My mind tells me that he has been sitting there for hours, but how can I trust it? My body has already betrayed me, why not my mind as well?

There's a rustling sound from the corner he sits in. The sound gets louder, and I assume he is coming towards me. I am right, and soon his face fills my vision. He's smiling, of course, it seems to be all he does of late.

His hands make themselves at home in my hair and his lips brush lightly against my own. His tongue darts out, touching my lips briefly to taste the dried blood that lingers there, but is gone before I have the chance to do it any harm.

He shifts again, moving a leg over my body, and sits lightly on my stomach. I can feel him sitting there. However long I've been here has been long enough for whatever caused the numbness to go away. My heart is beating wildly in my chest. It know it's silly, but I find myself wondering if he can hear it. For some reaon, I'm sure he can.

"05?" I focus on his eyes, offering the best glare I can muster in response. "You're trembling," he whispered, "Are you nervous?" I stare at him, and in my confusion forget that I'd resolved not to speak to him anymore.

"Nervous?" He nods, waiting for an answer to his own question. "About what?" I probably shouldn't have asked, because he seems to brighten when I do. He trails his finger down the side of my face, causing the skin beneath it to tingle. As it moves lower, I strain my neck to continue watching its descent. Even as I do so, I find myself cursing my body and the sensations he's evoking.

"This," he breathes, before brushing his fingers along the waistband of my pants and tracing it outwards to grip my hips. He grins, and holding me still, begins to rub himself against my leg. I lower my head back to the floor and squeeze my eyes shut. What he plans to do is obvious. I don't want this. Duo, where are you?

Suddenly, there's a hand on my face, gripping my chin roughly.

"Open your eyes." I don't, and the hand grips harder, digging into the flesh of my face. "I said open your eyes, 05. Open them, now!" Again, I do not. The hand moves up my face and tangles in my hair, pulling it harshly. He pulls my head up, and I can feel the anger directed at me. Seconds later I am unsure if my eyes are open or not as I see nothing but stars. He lifts my head and slams it back into the hard floor again. Now, even the stars have left me. He's saying something...but I'm not...

**********

It's cold. I reach for the blanket Duo has probably stolen, but my arm won't move very far. I open my eyes and turn my head... but it hurts, so I end up staring at the ceiling instead. It's very far away. Why is it so cold?

"You're awake."

That doesn't sound like "Duo...?"

"No, it's not Duo." I can hear the vehemence when the voice says his name.

"Where is he?"

"Duo's not here." The anger is gone, leaving a slightly cheerful tint.

Heero's face comes into view, blocking out the ceiling. It's fuzzy, blurred somewhat. He comes closer, kneeling down and leaning over me, so close that I can feel his breath. I lick my lips as I prepare to speak again and his breathing quickens.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He smiles and moves out of my limited field of vision.

"H-Heero?" What is he doing? I move my head regardless of the pain and search for him. He's crouching down by my feet. As the dizziness wears off, the fear creeps in again. He's naked, and as I look everywhere but at him, I see that I am as well.

I try to calm myself, struggling won't accomplish anything. I close my eyes and lie still, all the while wishing this was a dream I could wake up from. My determination not to move holds out until I feel the first cold touch of his fingers against my skin.

I cringe and try to move my body away from him. I don't get very far, my body has been against me since I was brought here. Gripping my legs tightly, he makes room for himself between them.

"No." I squeeze my eyes shut, but the sound of his voice makes me open them again.

"No?" His voice is hard, deadly; the voice of the boy he was during the war.

"No, I don't want this."

"It's obvious that you want it, exactly how much you want it." His breath flows across my legs, sending a tingling sensation down to my toes. He's smiling, you can tell from his tone of voice. I shake my head in denial. It's not true, I'm not enjoying this. No matter what responses he may draw from my flesh, I don't want it...do I? It's not true...is it?

His tongue is rough and wet as he licks me. He bites gently at my inner thigh, just before it meets the rest of my body. I shiver. He learned what I like the last time he sat there, when my body betrayed its secrets to him.

I'm pulled from those memories as he touches me someplace new, a place only Duo has touched me before.


End file.
